MTLNOVEL Chapter 298
Chapter 299. Group Order (3)
Ayrus. A high-ranking lich, one who seeks to complete the “Dark Document.”
The Dark Document is the source of dark magic, and since most dark magic users are evil, Keter found it truly surprising.
“Syndicate. So, it was actually a den of villains, huh?”
Keter muttered his thoughts out loud.
Tuska chuckled and said, “Good and evil are relative, Lord Keter.”
“To some extent, sure. But those who destroy and kill without any grudge or reason are definitely villains.”
Of course, Keter isn’t one to live by strictly judging good and evil. But that doesn’t mean he denies the concept of “evil” itself.
Ayrus sighed deeply, pressing his forehead.
“I came here thinking, ‘Surely, it can’t be you,’ when I heard someone had appeared to solve the problem… But we meet so often, Keter. It’s tiresome.”
“Nice to see you too, Ayrus. Though I’m a bit disappointed you’re in such good shape.”
Even with the queen absent, Keter hadn’t expected Ayrus to be not only unscathed but also to have stolen the “Dark Document” while trapped in the royal palace’s underground.
Hmm. Even with the power of the Dark Document, he’s too unscathed.
Keter’s gaze naturally turned to Ivan or Tuska. If they had the Syndicate’s help, even the royal palace wouldn’t stand a chance.
Ivan, sensing the gaze, frowned.
“I don’t have time to help that guy.”
“It seems Lord Keter has doubts about the Syndicate’s nature. Let me clarify: the Syndicate is more of a protector than a villain. Just because we complete the Dark Document doesn’t mean we’ll use it. There’s also the option to complete and seal it.”
Keter nodded at Tuska’s explanation.
“Whether you shoot animals or humans with a bow depends on the wielder’s intent.”
Even if the Syndicate were a group of villains, it wouldn’t change Keter’s mind.
“What you want is the Dark Document, right?”
Ayrus had vowed to crush Keter the next time they met, but his priorities had shifted to something more urgent.
“To be precise, the ‘Screaming Dark Document.'”
“Wow, so you’ve collected the other four documents already? Impressive.”
“Not as impressive as you, who disguised it as a coincidence and got your hands on Toban of the Five Divine Tools. So, do you know where the Screaming Dark Document is?”
Ayrus didn’t expect much. Even with the Syndicate’s intelligence network, they hadn’t found the Dark Document. How could Keter know?
Still, he asked, if only to taunt Keter.
“I have a rough idea.”
“…If you’re lying again, just stop.”
“In Ruquer, the fooled one is the fool, you know? You’ve been influenced by the outside world.”
“Don’t bring up Ruquer. So, where is the Screaming Dark Document?”
“Has the Dark Document taken over your brain? Why would I tell you for free?”
Keter wiggled his outstretched hand.
“Show me an artifact. If I like it, I’ll tell you.”
“How do I know if your information is real or fake? Information first.”
Keter and Ayrus glared at each other.
When sparks fly between two people, it’s usually metaphorical. But between these two, actual black flames erupted. Keter’s aura clashed with Ayrus’s dark mana.
Ayrus’s dark mana, having absorbed four Dark Documents, had grown deeper and denser. It was on par with Keter, who possessed Ain.
Whoosh!
Keter clenched his fist, and Toban’s power began to push back the dark mana.
“Ugh…”
Ayrus bit his lower lip, dark mana surging beneath his feet.
Just then.
“Haha, have you forgotten where we are, Lord Ayrus?”
Swish!
Tuska threw a branch at Keter and Ayrus.
Keter watched the branch fly. It was ordinary, with no aura. It should have turned to dust upon touching his aura, but—
Poof!
The moment the branch touched Keter’s aura and Ayrus’s dark mana, both energies vanished.
“Since you two don’t trust each other, let me mediate.”
Keter snorted at Tuska’s suggestion.
“You’re mistaken. I’m not that interested. Let’s just drop it.”
As Keter stepped back, Tuska approached Ayrus.
“Lord Ayrus. Keter claims to know the location of the Dark Document, which even the Syndicate couldn’t find. If we continue like this, it could take years. Even if it’s risky, trust Keter’s information.”
“I’d believe anyone else. Why does it have to be Keter? It’s fishy.”
Ayrus knew Tuska’s logic was sound, but emotionally, it was hard to accept.
“If Keter gives false information, he’s deceiving not just me but the Syndicate too.”
Ayrus spoke to both Keter and Tuska. Both nodded.
“Whether it’s crap or truth, the responsibility lies with the one who provides it.”
“If the information is false, I’ll step in even if others don’t.”
In the end, Keter won the battle of nerves. Ayrus was, of course, the one left frustrated.
Ayrus rummaged through his shadow and pulled out a horrifying staff. A staff adorned with skulls, their hollow eye sockets glowing with red light.
“An artificial artifact made by weaving the souls of mages of each attribute into a will. It can freely wield all attribute magics up to the 6th circle.”
“Hmm.”
Though its appearance and creation process were horrifying and inhumane, Keter only considered whether it matched the value of his information.
“Barely close enough.”
Though an artificial artifact, it contained the souls of twelve 6th-circle mages. It was on par with the Demon Bow Amaranth.
Of course, there would be significant penalties, but since Keter wouldn’t use it directly, it didn’t matter.
After storing the Skull Staff in a dimensional tunnel, Keter immediately handed over the information.
“The Screaming Dark Document is with Shade.”
“Shade?!”
The legendary thief, Shade, who was said to have even stolen the emperor’s underwear.
Ayrus’s expression turned blank. Though it seemed like he acknowledged it, the dark mana boiling around him expressed his emotions.
“Shade is dead. Even if he weren’t, he hasn’t been seen for hundreds of years. To say he has the Screaming Dark Document… What a convenient piece of information.”
It was nearly impossible to verify if Keter’s information was false. Keter shrugged.
“It’s not that Shade has it, but that it’s among the things he stole. You know this. He hid the things he stole all over the world. ‘Go find them,’ he said. The Screaming Dark Document is among them.”
“So, where is the Screaming Dark Document?”
Ayrus thought Keter would say he didn’t know and prepared to attack. Even if Tuska or Ivan tried to stop him, he was determined to attack.
But—
“In the desert of the Adeus Kingdom, perhaps?”
“…!”
Keter named a location. Though he vaguely said “desert,” it narrowed down the search significantly compared to scouring the entire continent.
“Where in the desert?”
“If I knew that, I’d have found it myself. That’s all I know.”
“How do you know this information?”
“Because I have one of Shade’s Seven Tools?”
Keter showed Shade’s key.
Ivan’s eyes lit up.
“It’s genuine.”
“You have a good eye.”
“I have one too. And he definitely left clues about his hidden treasures in his tools. So, I assume Shade’s key has the same clues.”
When Ivan sided with Keter, Ayrus was genuinely surprised. Though brief, his experience with Ivan was that he wasn’t someone easy to communicate with. He had zero social skills.
“The desert of the Adeus Kingdom… What an unexpected place.”
Though he had searched all over the continent, Ayrus had indeed overlooked the Adeus desert. It was, after all, a place with nothing but sand.
“I’ll trust it for now…”
As soon as Ayrus gained some trust in the information, he immediately stepped into the shadows. Of course, he didn’t forget to leave a word for Keter.
“When the Dark Document is complete, the first thing I’ll do is find Sephira, Keter.”
Though it was a threatening warning, Keter yawned and said, “Bring lots of mangoes when you come! They’re a specialty of Adeus.”
Alisa, Tuska, and even Ayrus. In less than an hour, Keter had completed requests from three people.
Ivan finally thought it was his turn and stepped forward.
“Keter. The other members are running late. So, start by healing my body with the Body Modification Art. Tuska, I’d appreciate it if you stayed by my side.”
Not fully trusting Keter, Ivan sought Tuska’s help.
“A rare request from Lord Ivan. I’ll gladly accept.”
The flow shifted toward healing Ivan.
But Keter plopped down on the sofa and said, “A short break. Is there anything to eat here?”
“…A break? What have you even done?”
From Ivan’s perspective, Keter had solved the problems with ease. He hadn’t expended any stamina or mental energy.
But Keter slammed the table with his foot and got angry.
“Ah, I’m hungry. I get sensitive when I’m hungry.”
“Huuuu.”
Ivan’s face twisted. His lips twitched.
Swoosh.
Ivan reached into the air and pulled something out. In his hand was a piece of bread.
Whoosh!
“Eat.”
“Just a piece of bread?”
“It’s elf bread. One piece can keep you full for a whole day. That amount could feed a hundred people.”
“This is elf bread?”
Chomp!
Keter took a big bite of the bread, which was said to fill you up with just one piece.
“Whoa! Oh!”
He chewed and savored it, then took a swig of the angel’s tears wine Alisa had left behind.
Gulp gulp.
“Ah, these go well together. Did you plan this?”
The wine, made from elf tears, disappeared as if hiding.
Ivan, as a mage, was puzzled.
“Do you have a gate in your stomach or something?”
Both the elf bread and the angel’s tears had incredibly high calories and nutrients.
But more isn’t always better. Sometimes, it’s poison.
Even if Keter was a Transcendent Being, as a human body, he shouldn’t be able to handle such quantities. He should have shown signs of physical distress by now—but Keter was patting his belly with a satisfied smile.
“Didn’t expect much, but it’s pretty good.”
“Then, now for my treatment…”
Whoosh! Thud!
While Ivan was speaking, someone popped out of thin air and immediately lay down.
“……”
He said nothing, his eyes closed. His posture was as limp as seaweed.
“That’s Alter. Don’t mind him. He’s lost interest in this world.”
“Oh?”
When Ivan said not to be interested, Keter became even more curious and crouched down in front of Alter.
Poke poke.
Even when poked, Alter showed no reaction.
Up close, he was quite handsome. A man in his mid-thirties.
But the energy within him was like an endless ocean. Of course, Alter was also a Transcendent Being.
‘And that outfit… What era is that from?’
Alter’s outfit wasn’t from this era. It looked like something from the distant past or future.
Ivan, following Keter, grabbed his shoulder and said, “It’s useless. He didn’t come here because he wanted to. Kilian sent him on a whim. Even if the world were ending, he’d just lie there. Focus on me.”
“Well, that just makes me want to challenge him more.”
Keter twisted his wrists and made a sudden move.
Slap!*
He slapped Alter’s cheek with full force.